Transmissive display systems typically function by altering properties of transmitted light to produce visual representations of images. Conventional transmissive display systems typically include a light source that illuminates a transmissive display. The transmissive display receives input signals, for example, from a video board or a display driver. The input signals define the images that are to be displayed by the display system. The transmissive display alters the light from the light source as it passes through the transmissive display to produce visual representations of the images defined by the input signals.
Light from the light source, i.e., a backlight, typically requires conditioning prior to illuminating the transmissive display. For example, the transmissive display may require light to be spatially uniform in brightness and/or color. In addition, some transmissive displays require light to be polarized. Various conventional backlight assembly arrangements have been developed for the purpose of providing adequate lighting to a transmissive display. By improving backlight assemblies, the appearance of visual representations generated by transmissive display systems can also be improved.